Moon Beam (MLP fanfiction)

Chapter 1 Goodbye Luna

Princess Luna entered her bedroom and closed the door behind her with a sigh. It had been over a month since she had, as Nightmare Moon, freed herself from her imprisonment in the moon and returned to Canterlot, shedding her evil persona along the way. Still, even though her older sister Princess Celestia had welcomed her back with an open heart, not everybody else seemed ready or willing to do the same.

Climbing into her bed, she knew that she couldn't really blame them. After all, she had done some pretty dastardly things, the greatest of which was her recent attempt to overthrow her sister and bring night eternal to the land of Equestria. But still, it was hard to face nothing but looks of contempt and disdain from everyone else all the time. She was trying to earn their trust, she really was. But how was she supposed to make any progress when nopony would give her a chance? With one last, soft sigh, she used her magic to close the drapes and douse the lights. Getting comfortable, she closed her eyes, and hoped that tomorrow would be better.

Luna looked around her. In every direction but down was the night sky, filled with a thousand stars shining like diamonds of every color. Beneath her hooves wasn't the grass of a field, or even the floors of Canterlot, but a white, rocky glowing terrain that she instantly knew was the moon. She turned her gaze upward again, taking in the night sky, and slowly realizing that, although she was obviously dreaming, this was too real to be just an ordinary dream. At the sound of a throat being cleared behind her, she turned around and froze in shock at the sight; Nightmare Moon was standing behind her!

"Hello there, Luna," the larger, black mare sneered with contempt. "Still trying to fit into society, I see. And just how is that working out for you?"

"How... how are you..." Luna stammered in fright, wondering how this could be happening.

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. "The only question I have is, how am I not the one who is still in control? We were me for a millennium! Compared to how long you've lived as Princess Luna," Luna flinched at the venom her dark side put into speaking her name, "why, I'm the one who has lived the majority of her time in control!"

Princess Luna took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure. "Yes, yes you did. But that's behind me now! No more being feared, being evil! I just want to live a happy life! One filled with friends, and smiles, and..."

Nightmare Moon cut her off with a sharp laugh. "Ha! Again I ask, how's that working out for you? No, don't try to cover up the details, I'm you after all. I saw it all! How even though the only word you said to those two unicorns in the halls after breakfast was a friendly 'Hello', what did they do? They turned tail and ran in fear! Or how about those guards you passed after lunch? Did you see how they just stared at you? And trust me, Luna darling, those weren't the good kind of stares from a stallion, oh no. Those were eyes filled with wariness. Distrust." Nightmare Moon leaned close to whisper into Luna's ear. "Hatred."

"NO!" Luna surprised herself with the fierceness she used to deny the accusations levied at her. Nightmare Moon chuckled at her, but she shook her head in disagreement. "Maybe distrust, but not hate! And I can understand why too! After all you did to them! And, and I'm not the best at trying to talk to others either. I'm sure if I just keep trying, I'll get the hang of it eventually."

"Yes, I'll agree with you on that one, Luna. A thousand years trapped in a celestial object did stunt our interpony skills, didn't it? However, I simply think you're going about it all the wrong way." Nightmare Moon slowly walked around the smaller Luna, who turned her head from one side to the other to keep her darker self in view. "Think, Luna. What is it that we have that they don't? Magic. POWER. We were strong enough to keep the moon in the sky, and stop the sun from rising! They should not be looking at you in fear, no! They should be loving you! Worshiping you! Bowing down before your majestic might!"